Elevator Ride
by madcrafter72
Summary: A post-ep for the Season 2 finale A Deadly Game, when Castle leaves Beckett to go to the Hamptons with Gina. Because I wanted to do this to him. Rated T for safety but only a little violent. My first fanfic, so please be gentle. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

Post ep for 2x24 A Deadly Game

It was good of the guys to put on this little farewell party for him, he thought, it made him feel a part of the team. He was going to miss this, but he had to step away. This way, he could do it without looking like a sore loser, and the book really did have to be finished.

They were laughing at something Captain Montgomery had said when Beckett walked into the conference room, and she picked up on the merriment as she grabbed a beer for herself.

"Ooh, look who's off duty" Castle teased her.

"Yeah, well Castle, I'm not all work" she replied, and Castle was caught by the easy banter and a twinkle in her eye. She seemed lighter, somehow.

Lanie must have also picked up on Beckett's mood, as she gave Castle some advice "don't get into a drinking contest with her, she can take you"

"Thank you," he acknowledged, nodding at Lanie, but stunned anew by this extraordinary creature in front of him. _Stop it, Rick, she made her choice, and it wasn't you_ , he reminded himself, but it was hard, especially when she was right there.

"Oh, I don't need to drink to take him" Beckett replied, voice full of innuendo. For a second, Castle's mind flared with hope, but he stomped it down hard, reminding himself again that she was going away with Demming. Then curiosity overtook him as she asked to talk to him, and stepped outside into the hallway.

When she closed the door, he asked "What's up?"

She looked nervous all of a sudden, like she was trying to find words. This was a look that he didn't see much on Bad Ass Beckett, it was almost like she'd been left in the conference room and Kate had come out to talk to him.

"Look, I know that I'm not the easiest person to get to know, and … I don't always let on what's on my mind, but this past year working with you … I've had a really good time". The smile on her face melted his heart a little, before he reminded himself she had Demming.

"Yeah, me too." The last year had been some of the best in his life, apart from his time with Alexis, and it made him feel like he was actually contributing to something, being useful. Well, all good things had to come to an end sometime. _Not the end you wanted though, is it, Rick?_ He needed to make a clean break.

She looked really nervous now, and Castle had no idea why that may be. There was something else in her eyes, something he had never seen before, and it threw him. Most of the time now he had come to anticipate most of her moods, but he was totally stumped what this conversation was about.

"So, uhm, I'm just going to say this, and-"

"Richard, are you ready?"

Gina. Of all the times to interrupt a conversation. He really wanted to know what she was going to say.

"Hey, Gina. Uh, Beckett, you remember Gina, my ex-wife"

"And publisher" Gina put in, shaking Beckett's hand, then linking her arm through his and taking possession – almost like she was marking her territory. There was a flash of something in Beckett's eyes, but it was gone too soon for Castle to identify it - again. He really was off his game. Maybe she was in sync with Demming now. That thought shattered his heart a little bit more, but he was going to be a gentleman about this, if it killed him.

"Yeah, we spoke the other day. Looks like you finally tracked him down."

"Oh, yeah, he's such a little boy sometimes," Gina said, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I don't know why, it's not like I bite… much," Gina added, smiling up at him. Then she continued "We better get going if we don't want be stuck in traffic all night."

"Going?" There was that look in Beckett's eyes again, looking at Castle.

"To the Hamptons" Castle replied, still trying to work out what that look, and the weird tone of her voice meant.

"For the weekend?" She asked again, still reserved, and Gina was quick to jump in "for the summer actually, so I can stay on top of him while he finishes his book."

Beckett was saying something, and he was replying, talking about the nice phone call he'd shared with Gina the night before, but his eyes were cataloguing the facial expressions Beckett was displaying, and filing them directly into his hind-brain. He couldn't look at her any more, he had to get away before he did something really stupid, so he looked at Gina instead, although he really couldn't remember ever having looked at Gina like that before.

"So, I'm sorry, you were telling me something," Castle tried to bring the conversation back to Beckett, even though he didn't really want to hang around too long now that Gina was here. What made him agree to have her come to the precinct to meet him, anyway? Women were all too perceptive sometimes - well his mother certainly was – and he didn't need any grief from Gina about Beckett or it would be a very uncomfortable summer.

Beckett's mouth said "Have a great summer" but her face, and her eyes, were telling a whole other story, and Castle sank even further into confusion, he had no idea what was going on with her today.

"You too," he said, trying very hard not to imagine all the things she would be doing with Demming, curse his writers imagination. Again he told her it had been great working with her, wincing internally at the past tense of that statement. It really was for the best. _You keep telling yourself that, Rick_.

He looked towards the door of the conference room, where he could see the guys and Lanie watching them through the door, and waving goodbye, as they could see him moving towards the elevator.

The handshake was awkward, and not just because Gina was hanging on his arm. It was almost like the first goodbye after the Tisdale case, and for a moment he was tempted to lean in and at least kiss her cheek again, but there were all too many reasons that was a really bad idea, so he took his cue for a quiet exit.

"See you in the fall?" Beckett called out, when he was almost to the elevator, and he thought her voice sounded odd, stilted, and almost sad. The whole last 5 minutes had been totally confounding for him. He tried to turn around but with Gina hanging off his arm, he only managed to turn his head.

"See you in the fall," he replied, thinking that perhaps by then he would be able to get back to being friends with Beckett, not hurting so much every time he saw her with Demming.

When he got in the elevator, Gina let go of his arm, and started hunting around in her handbag. He pressed the button for the ground floor, and watched the doors close. It almost felt like they were closing on a chapter of his life. Where did that thought come from?

Too soon to have reached the ground floor, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Someone else was getting on, and it wasn't anyone that Castle really wanted to see right now.

"…Castle"

"…Demming"

Pleasantries exchanged, there was nothing to do but stare at the top of the elevator doors, willing the floor indicator to move faster

"Rick," Gina grabbed his arm again, holding her phone in the other hand. "The Waltons are having their annual Memorial Day cocktail party tomorrow night, and Cherie Tennyson has invited us out on her yacht. Oh, and I heard the little boutique in the village has new stock from Paris-"

Castle was a little distracted, but he managed to listen to most of Gina's ramblings "Relax Gina, we have the whole summer, we don't need to rush around"

There was some sort of weird noise from the other man in the elevator, almost like a grunt or growl. Surprised, Castle turned towards the sound, only to be met with a very solid right fist. For a second, he could see Demming's cold blue eyes behind the fist, filled with fury.

"You son of a bitch, you steal my girl then dump her to take another woman for the summer?" Castle didn't get a chance to even open his mouth before a hard left fist was rammed into his gut.

"I knew you were a no good playboy the moment I met you, and I have no idea what she saw in you in the first place. Don't bother setting foot in this place again, or I will make sure the full force of the NYPD comes down on your worthless ass!" And with that, the elevator doors opened on the ground floor, and Demming walked out.

Castle could vaguely hear Gina prattling on in the background – god that woman just didn't shut up sometimes. There was a very good reason she was an ex-wife.

Then the words that Demming had thrown at him actually registered, and he froze.

What the hell?

 **A/N: this is my first fanfic, and this story has been in my mind for a week or so now. Please be gentle, but I welcome constructive feedback. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks so very much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, I am absolutely blown away by the response, so here is part will probably be at least one more chapter. I am particularly grateful to those who gave me constructive feedback on both the story, and my writing, your words are very much appreciated.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

 _What the hell?_

It was the ding of the elevator door almost closing that brought him back to his senses, even though Gina had already walked out and was looking back at him with impatience. His mind was reeling with a thousand thoughts, all clashing and ramming against each other, fighting for dominance. He really needed peace and quiet – and perhaps a scotch or two – to sort them out, but that wasn't going to happen unless he made some drastic changes to his plans. Starting with the blonde in front of him.

"So Rick, want to tell me what that was all about? Who was that man? Is he a cop? I am sure there are rules about police assaulting civilians, we can get Black Pawn onto that on Monday if you w-"

"No! No, I don't want Black Pawn, or you, involved in that at all. It doesn't matter who he was" Rick said, trying to figure out how we could get rid of her so he could go back to the loft.

"But Rick, who was this girlfriend-"

"I said leave it alone, Gina! Now, I have realised I can't quite go to the Hamptons tonight, so I will get the town car to drop you at home and I will talk to you next week, OK?"

"What? What has changed? It's that Detective Beckett isn't it? You have been spending a lot of time with her and neglecting your writing. I had hoped when we spoke last night that-" She never go to finish what she hoped, because Castle almost pushed her into the back of the town car, and gave her address to the driver, then closed the door.

Castle knew he was going to pay for that later on, but right now he didn't care. He flagged down the next cab and gave him the loft address. If he had glanced back towards the precinct, he would have seen Kate Beckett walk out the door, her shoulders slumped and her whole manner dejected, with a weekender bag in tow.

While the cab was stuck in traffic – the delays of that afternoon had served to put him right into the middle of peak hour traffic – he allowed a few more minutes of thinking about Gina. She had already called his mobile twice in the 5 minutes since they parted, and was obviously very frustrated with the fact that he let them go to voicemail. He could imagine there would be some nasty voicemails waiting for him, in that irritating tone she had when things didn't go her way.

What on earth had prompted him on the phone last night to invite her to the Hamptons for the summer? That was a mistake just waiting to explode in his face. Just because they could talk like normal people for a couple of hours, didn't mean they could – or should – rekindle a relationship that shouldn't have happened in the first place. Obviously between losing Alexis to the summer program, and Beckett to Demming, he had decided he couldn't or shouldn't be alone, and reached for 'comfortable' female company. And Gina was comfortable, in the way of 'better the devil you know'. They did have a history, and had at one time been good together, but it was never love, and he knew that now. Shame that it took him falling in love with Beckett, and having is advances rejected, for him to learn that.

Which brought his musings right back to the main problem, right around the time the cab pulled up in front of his building. He walked through the lobby with a passing nod to Eduardo, who seemed surprised to see him but didn't comment, and straight into the elevator - then straight out again, and heading for the stairs. He'd had enough of elevators for a while, he wasn't ready just yet to re-live the last ride.

Once he got inside the loft, he busied himself for a few minutes with normal activities – changing into comfortable clothes, reheating some leftovers for dinner, and pouring himself a generous glass of wine. He wondered briefly where his mother was, then remembered she was out with some friends and not expecting to be home until after the weekend. Perfect, he could think in peace.

All those tasks done, there was nothing left but to explore the events of the afternoon. On the one hand, he was reluctant to do so, he had almost made his peace with Beckett's choice, and forced his mind and heart to move on. Whatever Demming had said, and the look he saw on her face while Beckett was saying goodbye, dwelling more on his feelings for Kate was just asking for more pain. Unfortunately his writer's brain was clamouring for the story, to dissect every word, every look, every expression, until he knew the truth.

So, let's start with Beckett – Kate. Ever since he had told her he was leaving after the current case, there was a slight shift in the looks she gave him, it was almost like there was uncertainty or doubt in her mind, something that Detective Beckett never showed. And then when she called him out of the farewell party, she seemed to be reluctant but determined to share something with him, something she obviously considered important, judging by the intensity of her gaze, and the way she was fidgeting with her hands the whole time.

And then when Gina turned up, the shock on her face was only barely hidden, but it wasn't until Gina mentioned they were going to the Hamptons for the summer that Castle saw Kate's expression pale and then freeze. He was not sure why, and discounted that look at the time. Kate had turned him down, and she was going away with Demming, so why would she have been so shocked about his plans? Of course, it had only been 24 hours since she had turned him down, so maybe she was surprised he already-

Wow, he was an idiot. She turned him down, even though he had stated the invitation was for friends, no funny business, and not 24 hours later he has another woman on his arm to take her for the summer. Way to go Rick. Way to convince her you are not that Page Six playboy.

And that reminds him of Demming's words.

" _You son of a bitch, you steal my girl then dump her to take another woman for the summer?"_

" _I knew you were a no good playboy the moment I met you, and I have no idea what she saw in you in the first place."_

Steal his girl? Castle didn't steal anything, certainly not Demming's girl. Beckett had chosen Demming, so he was quietly stepping away leaving the two of them to their relationship. And then dump her? Well that was even more absurd, as they had never been together, and if he was honest, it had been Beckett 'dumping' Castle as her partner, for Demming. The robbery detective had been up in their floor constantly the last couple of weeks, bringing her coffee, getting into her personal space. Castle's heart broke a little each time he saw them together, and he decided he needed to remove himself from the situation.

So what had happened in the last 24 hours to make Demming lash out and say those things to Castle, and to physically assault him? Demming had always seemed to be in full control, very calm and methodical. Castle might not like him because he had Kate, but he had to admit he was a good detective.

Castle topped up his wine glass, and again made himself comfortable in his office. Some in depth objective analysis was needed. Demming said Castle stole his girl. Which would suggest they were no longer together, and by the term steal it was Beckett who broke it off. Why? She seemed to be happy with him, judging by the stolen kisses Castle witnessed in the precinct. Leave the why for now, move to the next question.

When had she broken it off? It still seemed to be on when he left the precinct that morning to drive Alexis to Princeton. Then when he saw her again as she walked into his farewell party, she seemed lighter, happier somehow. Straight after that, she called him out to talk in the hall, and less than 10 minutes after that he was in the elevator meeting Demming on the Robbery floor. So she must have broken it off with Demming before she came into the conference room. He was still coming back to the why, and it was bothering him. Let's review what Kate said.

" _Look, I know that I'm not the easiest person to get to know, and … I don't always let on what's on my mind, but this past year working with you … I've had a really good time"._

" _So, uhm, I'm just going to say this, and-"_

What on earth was she going to say? It was so frustrating that he didn't know, it was like the missing piece of the puzzle. If only she had finished what she was saying, he knew this would all make sense. But she was interrupted when Gina called out to him.

Gina. Obviously whatever she was going to say couldn't be said in front of Gina. What wouldn't she say in front of another woman? Oh. Oh! She breaks off with her boyfriend, flirts with him in front of her colleagues and captain, asks to speak to him privately, and tells him she enjoyed working with him. She was opening up to him again, is it possible she may have wanted to explore another step in their partnership?

And then, just as she is about to do that, his ex-wife turns up, and tells her they are going to the Hamptons for the whole summer. Yeah, he can see how that would have been a shock, and explained the look on her face when she said 'have a great summer'. Damn, he was an idiot. He really should have talked to her about stepping back, about respecting her relationship with Demming, but they never talk, do they? They have perfected communicating in subtext, and she didn't really know that he was interested in her, just as he didn't know that his leaving would affect her this much.

That came down to him again. Apart from inviting her for a debrief after that first case, he had not openly pursued her since, instead enjoying the banter and innuendo they shared. And after he looked into her mother's case and got kicked out of the precinct, he was just grateful to be working with her again. She had moved beyond a conquest to him long since, but not once had he actually told her that. And then of course, there were his dalliances with Meredith and Ellie Monroe, Kyra and Kate's friend Madison. No wonder she didn't let him in beyond working together at the precinct. Once again he castigated himself for missed opportunities.

He could spend all summer thinking about Kate and trying to puzzle out what this afternoon meant. What he really needed to do was talk to her, find out exactly what was going on. And he knew that she would not be the one to reach out to him, especially not the way they had left things. Should he call her? She may not – probably would not – answer. She still thought he had gone to the Hamptons with his ex-wife. While he really wanted to let her know he was still in New York, he really didn't want to get into too much detail with her – or to put his feelings on the line - until he had a better idea where they stood. He decided to send her a text, and seeing as it was already late – how long exactly had he been lost in his own mind? – He figured she wouldn't see it until the next morning anyway.

"KB I am still in NY. Can we talk please? RC"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks so very much to everyone who is continuing to read and review my little story. As I said, this is my first fanfiction, and I can tell you that reading hundreds of stories from brilliant writers does not in any way prepare you for trying to get the story out of your head and down onto paper. I am particularly grateful to Garrae for our discussion about the direction of this story. You helped me firm up my thoughts on this "not a one-shot" and I am encouraged to take it where it wants to go.**

 **The last two chapters have been in Castle's POV so it's time for a change of pace. Some may think this is a little OOC for Kate, but I think it fits with my story, and this is, after all,** _ **fiction.**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

Kate slowly made her way home in a depressed haze. After the fiasco with Castle and his ex-wife, she had lost all interest in the little party, and made mumbled excuses as she fled the precinct. She couldn't cope with the anonymous crowds on the subway, and the traffic was in gridlock for blocks around, so she decided to start walking.

In her mind, she replayed every agonising minute of the afternoon, from breaking up with Tom, to the elevator doors closing on Castle and Gina. Esposito had tried to tell her the day before that Castle wouldn't watch her be with another man, but the pain of him possibly leaving the precinct – and her – was nothing compared to the pain of _watching_ him leave with another woman on his arm.

It hit her suddenly, that she had much stronger feelings for Castle than even she was willing to admit to herself. When Tom asked her what she was after, the knee jerk reaction was that she didn't really know, but hovering in the back of her mind even then were Castle's gorgeous blue eyes. Yes, he was arrogant, could be a jackass at times, and self-centred and smug, but he had been very helpful on many of their cases, his analytical mind seeing connections sometimes that trained detectives missed. And he had made her life a lot more fun, he had actually made her laugh more in the last year than she had in the previous decade.

Yes, he had that playboy reputation, and had been plastered all over page 6 with any number of bimbettes and celebutants, but he was also a loving and caring family man, with his daughter and mother. The interactions she had seen with his family, been made to feel a part of thanks to all their generosity, showed just how much he cared for those he loved, and how much he protected them. And he had spent $100,000 at the drop of a hat, on just the chance of catching her mother's killer. She could think of no one else who would do that for her. He really was so confusing.

Walking into her apartment, she took off her coat and heels by the door, put her gun and badge away, and poured herself a generous glass of red wine. She may have been surprised to learn that her and Castle were still in sync, both at home alone, rehashing the events of the afternoon with red wine.

It was Castle's different personas that kept Kate at arm's length. She didn't know which was the real him, although she was starting to suspect that how he was at home, with his family, was the Rick Castle she was developing feelings for. And the way they could build theory together, get caught up in their own little world, was amazing. She had never felt that connection with anyone. In the privacy of her own home, she could admit that she was a little turned on every time she and Castle solved a puzzle in a case, and the fact that he admired and respected her mind, her intellectual assets, over her physical ones. Being a woman in a male dominated world was hard, and she had earned her place and the respect of her colleagues by sheer hard work, but there were still those who looked at her like a piece of meat. Castle had never done that, and she had come to enjoy and look forward to their interactions. To think that she would never have that again had been hard to contemplate.

But she couldn't forget his playboy persona, waltzing around with different women – Kyra, Ellie Monroe, her friend Maddie, not to forget BOTH his ex-wives now. He obviously couldn't commit, and she was not going to be a conquest to be used and discarded. She had already told him she was a one and done kind of girl, she wanted the kind of relationship her parents had.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table where she had dumped it when she walked in. She had a few missed calls and texts from Lanie, but she was in no mood for those tonight. Her best friend was well meaning, but right now she just needed privacy and solitude, so she could rebuild her walls and lock her fragile heart away even further.

The phone buzzed again, and the screen lit up with Tom's face. What did he want? No, that wasn't fair, Tom had done nothing wrong, she had been the one to lead him on and then dump him just before their planned weekend away, before he could take their relationship to the next level. But that was the point, wasn't it, she didn't really want to go to the next level with Tom, he was just a shield against her burgeoning feelings for Castle, and what she could see in his eyes.

Wow, the wine was really getting her tonight, making her face things she had been hiding from for months. Lucky she was alone, or this could get embarrassing.

The phone screen lit up again – Tom was really trying to get hold of her. She decided it was probably best to tackle this conversation head-on, and picked up the phone.

'Beckett" her tone made it clear she was not in the mood for a long conversation.

"Hi Kate" Tom said, sounding hesitant, something she was not used to from him, and it immediately put her on edge.

"What's up Tom?" She thought he would still head out of town for the long weekend, but mentioning that now would not be appropriate.

"Listen, I …. I did something stupid this afternoon ….. And I want to apologise".

"What are you talking about, Tom? You didn't do-"

"No, after I left you, when you broke up with me. I went back to my desk and had a couple of mouthfuls of the scotch I keep in my desk for emergencies, then I headed out of the precinct. I ran into Castle and some blonde woman in the elevator."

Kate was speechless. Tom had seen Castle and Gina at the precinct?

"Tom, what did you do?" she asked, a little afraid of the answer, but also desperate to find out why _he_ was apologising to _her_.

"I saw the two of them in the lift but didn't think anything of it, to be honest I was feeling a little sorry for myself after you dumped me"

"Tom, I-"

"No, it's OK, that is over. I overheard the woman making plans with Castle that sounded like they were going away for the whole summer, and I thought you had broken up with me to be with Castle, and then to hear him making plans with another woman, I just got really angry that he had discarded you, and I …"

"God, Tom, what did you do?"

"I punched him."

"What? Tom!"

"No, let me finish and get this out. I punched him in the face, and then punched him in the gut, and then told him never to set foot in the precinct again. I was so angry, that you are this amazing woman, and he had discarded you like the playboy he is. You deserve better than that, Kate, and I was just so upset about cancelling our plans, and the way he was just waltzing out of the precinct with a dumb blonde on his arm, that I lost control.

Kate was speechless. What an absolute mess, how was she even going to start unravelling this?

"So I left the precinct and came straight home, and admittedly I have had a few more drinks, but I sincerely regret my actions and how they are going to impact on you, and I am prepared to face whatever discipline I take for this, but I just wanted to tell you I was sorry."

There was silence on the line, while Kate tried to sort out her thoughts on this latest incident, and while Tom waited for any sort of response.

Her first reaction was to shout at him, that she didn't need defending, and how dare he put himself in that position, but she pushed that aside. Tom was sweet, but old fashioned, and she could see how he could interpret what he saw and heard and need to step in. It also made her realise that he had stronger feelings for her than she did for him, and a little bit more guilt settled around her gut for leading him on.

Obviously she had been quiet for too long, because Tom couldn't stand the silence any more.

"Kate, please just say something?"

"Tom, I don't know what to say, to be honest, and I have also had a few drinks tonight so I don't trust myself to get into this right now. I really don't think violence against a civilian in the police precinct is going to progress your career, and if he decides to press charges, you are going to face a world of pain. I don't think it's me you should be apologising to, either, but I do appreciate the gesture."

"So what do you think I should do?"

"I think you should have a really good think about the incident this weekend, and come Tuesday morning be ready to face the music. You will need to tell your Captain because you don't want him to find out via the charge sheet from a celebrity, or worse, his lawyers."

"Yeah, I guess so. Do you think I could plead temporary insanity?" He tried to joke, but it fell flat, and he heard Kate sigh.

"No Tom, members of the force are not allowed to plead temporary insanity, and can you imagine the grief this is going to cause around the precinct? Montgomery has been turning a blind eye to our relationship because technically we don't work together, but he can't ignore you assaulting a civilian, especially if that civilian decides it was caused by jealousy over me."

Just saying that out loud made her cringe. What an absolute mess this had turned into. Yet another example of why she should not even bother to date, or socialise, with the opposite sex. Any time she put herself out there, it just lead to pain and heartache.

"Kate … do you think we-"

"No Tom, there is no we. I made that clear this afternoon. And after your little insanity, as you called it, I think it best that we keep our distance from each other even more. You are a good cop, but colleagues is all you and I will ever be."

There was another uncomfortable silence, but Kate held her tongue – it was up to him now to end the conversation.

"Okay, then, well, good night Kate"

"Goodbye, Tom"

She ended the call and put her phone down. She absolutely was not interested in talking to anyone else tonight, she needed to process everything herself.

She topped up her wine, and sat back down onto her couch, again lost in thought.

What she needed to do, and could take the summer to achieve, was to get over her feelings for the writer, and when he came back in the fall (she hoped he would come back) they would get back to their partnership and solving cases together. And maybe they could at some point get back to the friendship she knew had been developing between them.

She had her friendship with Lanie, she had her brothers in arms in Ryan and Esposito, and her mentor and father-figure Montgomery. She didn't need any romantic involvements to complicate her life.

It was not until a few hours later, when she was finally ready to attempt sleep, that she picked up the phone again to move into the bedroom, and saw the latest message from Castle and her breathing stopped.

"KB I am still in NY. Can we talk please? RC"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks so very much to everyone who is continuing to read and review this story. This chapter is a little long, but I didn't see a nice neat stopping point earlier. For the record, I think Kate and Rick were equally to blame for the events at the end of Season 2, and they continued to be oblivious to their own and each other's actual feelings for a long time after that, too.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

 _What she needed to do, and could take the summer to achieve, was to get over her feelings for the writer, and when he came back in the fall (she hoped he would come back) they would get back to their partnership and solving cases together. And maybe they could at some point get back to the friendship she knew had been developing between them._

 _She had her friendship with Lanie, she had her brothers in arms in Ryan and Esposito, and her mentor and father-figure Montgomery. She didn't need any romantic involvements to complicate her life._

 _It was not until a few hours later, when she was finally ready to attempt sleep, that she picked up the phone again to move into the bedroom, and saw the latest message from Castle and her breathing stopped._

" _KB I am still in NY. Can we talk please? RC"_

She read it over and over again, analysing each word, trying to work out what he could mean. The _please_ was interesting, toned down the message. He must want to talk to her about what Tom had done. Oh God, she didn't want to get into the middle of that mess.

Obviously he hadn't gone to the Hamptons as planned with Gina. He must be really pissed with Tom assaulting him, and no doubt Gina was encouraging him to get his lawyers involved ASAP. Maybe he wanted to warn her it was going to hit the fan? She certainly had not been a witness to it, and he wouldn't know that Tom had called her to confess.

She could spend all night thinking about whys and what-ifs, but she was already exhausted and she didn't really want to talk to him right now, even over text. While she knew she would be able to put the events of this afternoon behind her eventually, an alcohol fuelled discussion or argument that may lead to confession would only do more damage right now. She closed her bedroom door, leaving the phone in the lounge, and buried herself under the covers. Sleep was a long time coming.

Loud banging woke Castle ridiculously early the next morning, and it took him a little while to realise it was his front door. He groaned as he got out of bed, shrugging on his robe as he walked towards the front door, his feet unconsciously beating rhythm with the knocking. When he checked the peep hole, he groaned again. Resigning himself to an uncomfortable conversation, he slowly opened the door.

Gina stormed in as soon as the door was open, not even greeting him before launching into a full volume tirade.

"I have already spoken to our lawyers and they will be serving that cop with assault charges first thing Tuesday morning, they seemed sure they could identify him from my description. I want to take a photo of your face now, and you will need to be there for the hearing of course. I think this may end your little project with the police precinct but as you have almost finished the book anyway I think that's for the best. They probably don't want any bad publicity so we can probably keep it on the low down. We will get Paula involved and spin it as a natural end to your research….."

Castle just stared at her, as she paced up and down in his lounge, taking charge as always, believing that what she wanted was the best for all. Then his brain fully woke up to her words, about lawyers, and assault charges.

"Gina-"

There was no indication she even heard him, she was still talking about his agent

"Gina!" Rick Castle didn't raise his voice very often, certainly not around his publisher (even their arguments while they were married were mostly her shouting and him placating) so when he yelled her name, it finally got her attention. For a moment she was speechless, and that was exactly what he needed.

"You are going to call back the lawyers, there will be no assault charges, like I told you last night. This is something I will deal with myself, and your interference is not welcome.

"Now, if that is all you came to say, then you can leave again, as I am not in the frame of mind for visitors right now." With that, he made his way over towards the front door to let her out.

"But Rick, that man punched you twice, I can see the bruise coming up on your face, you can't just let that go" she was walking towards him, and reached out her hand to smooth down the side of his face, hoping that perhaps tenderness may still win the day for her. She was a little surprised when he flinched away from her, but maybe their rekindled relationship was not at the touching stage yet. "Please, Rick, let me take care of this for you, and then we can head to the Hamptons and enjoy our summer while you finish that book. If I do it, you can maintain your friendships with the Mayor and your other poker buddies."

Castle took another step away from her, and then looked her in the eye. He knew this conversation was necessary, but it didn't make it any easier. At least they were in private, so her inevitable blow-up would hopefully stay off page six.

"Gina, I am not going to the Hamptons with you, I told you that last night. We were over before the divorce was finalised, and either of us thinking that we could rekindle something was a mistake. You are my publisher, and you are a very good one, but there is nothing and will never be anything else between us except for that professional partnership." He ignored the hurt look on her face as he went on.

"Now, about the 'assault' from last night, it was simply a misunderstanding between myself and Detective Demming, so there is no need for charges, or lawyers, or anyone else to get involved. My research at the precinct is for the book, but Black Pawn has no other business with the New York Police Department, so I will thank you to withdraw the charges and leash the legal hounds, and we will speak no more about it, is that clear?"

"It's that Detective Beckett, isn't it? You are trying to protect her, aren't you? Have you slept with her? Is that what this is about?"

"No Gina, it's not about that, but as I said, it's my business to deal with it. Now please, I really am in no mood for company right now" and he opened his front door in a blatant hint for her to leave.

"Well, I still expect the final chapters within the month, we have a deadline to keep" She said as she walked out the door, then turned around in the hallway, slipping easily back into editor mode to hide her disappointment.

"Yes, Gina, you will have them in your inbox by the end of the month" Rick said, then closed the door. He didn't see the calculating look on her face as she turned for the elevator.

Kate woke up late, grateful that she had not cancelled her weekend leave when things fell apart the day before. She showered and dressed, then went to the kitchen for her first cup of coffee, so she could start feeling human. Except coffee made her think of Castle, which brought back the embarrassing memories of the farewell party, and then that weird text from him late last night.

She checked her phone again, finding a few more messages from Lanie, getting progressively more anxious, and figured she had better at least acknowledge them, even if she was in no mood for girly chats.

 _Hey Lanie, I am fine, just need some alone time this weekend, I will see you next week_.

 _Do you want me to come over tonight with some wine_? Lanie asked, knowing that was how they dealt with most of their problems

 _No, I will be at Dad's. Talk later._ She hated lying to her best friend, but she really couldn't go through the events of last night again, and Lanie would just want to rehash them all, dissect them like one of her patients, hoping to work things out that way.

 _Okay, girlfriend, but call me if you need anything. I am here for you._

Kate smiled at that, relieved that at least one of her work relationships was still fine.

She busied herself with chores around the apartment, washing, cleaning, and then writing a grocery list for later. Eventually, though, she could no longer distract herself from Castle's text, and picked up her phone again, dropping heavily onto the couch.

What should she say? She was naturally curious about what he wanted to talk to her about, but after Tom's call last night, she was fairly sure that was going to be top of mind. That must be why he didn't go to the Hamptons like planned, and-

Hang on, how did he know she was still in the city? He overhead her plans with Tom, which had caused all sorts of awkwardness on her part. Had Tom said something else to Castle, to make him think she hadn't gone with him? God, what had been said between them? She tried to recall what Tom had said, but all that she remembered was that Tom told him not to come back to the precinct. That didn't seem like enough conversation for two punches, and she bit her lip in worry as she tried to recall everything that Tom had said on the phone last night.

The easy way to resolve this was to call Tom and ask him _exactly_ what was said, but that was not something she was willing to do, for any number of reasons. So she would need to find out on her own. She was a detective, after all, she would apply her skills. It would be best to meet Castle face to face, she could gage his expressions and reactions best that way, but was she really up for that? The rejection was still too raw. Before she over-thought it, she sent him a reply text.

 _What about? Thought you had done all your research._

That was vague enough, she hoped, to indicate she didn't know what he wanted to talk about, but also that he had chosen to leave the precinct and she was OK with that. While still contemplating that, her phone buzzed with a response.

 _Can I call you?_

Wow, was he sitting on his phone? That was a very quick response, considering she had taken all night to get back to him. Then again, whenever she called or texted, he was usually very prompt in getting back to her. Was she ready to hear his voice? To try and have a normal conversation with him? No, not really, but it could not be avoided forever.

 _In the middle of something, how about after lunch?_

 _Sure, I will call you at 2pm, is that alright?_

 _OK_

That gave her a couple of hours to prepare herself for this conversation. Was it too early for some liquid courage? No, alcohol was certainly not going to improve this situation.

Rick was happy that she responded, and was willing to talk to him, now he just had to figure out what he wanted to say, where he wanted the conversation to go.

If Demming was correct, and she had broken up with him for Castle, then that meant she may have some feelings for him. Before Demming came along, he had caught her looking at him sometimes with a softness in her eyes, and it seemed she found it harder and harder to not laugh at his jokes and wild theories. She also was doing more of that lip-biting that he found strangely erotic. He let his mind wander for a little while, and felt himself getting hard at the images of Kate his brain was coming up with. That was so not helpful right now. Time for a cold shower.

After his shower, and his second cup of coffee, Rick sat down to write himself a list of what he wanted to talk to Kate about, working out a game plan. He was the wordsmith after all, and he had been observing Kate and the other detectives for over a year now, so he figured her could do some subtle interrogating of his own.

If Kate did have some feelings for him, he wanted her to admit them, and then he would admit that she was so much more than just a conquest to him, and maybe they could explore this new dimension to their partnership together. Before he got lost in the daydream of that, he realised that there was no way Kate would come right out and say she had feelings for him. She was still so closed off, and whatever she had wanted to say to him yesterday had been very difficult for her, and at the first sign of an interruption, she had clammed up again. OK, so he would have to take this very carefully, and perhaps give her a little about how he felt, so she would feel more comfortable in speaking her mind. But not too much, for if there was nothing there, he didn't want to make a fool of himself. That would definitely prevent him from returning to the precinct.

At five to two, he picked up his phone and called up her speed dial. The photo he had allocated to her contact details was one he took at the precinct a little while ago, while she had been laughing at something Ryan said. She looked happy and carefree, the smile on her face one he had seen a few times now, and wanted to be responsible for putting on her face every day.

With a minute to spare, he dialled her number.

Kate's phone ringing jolted her out of the daze she had been in for most of the last hour, trying to work out what he wanted to talk about, and how she was going to keep a calm tone of voice. She figured the best way was to put her work persona on, so she answered the phone in her usual way.

"Beckett"

There was a pause, then "Hi, Kate, how are you?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks so very much to everyone who is continuing to read and review this story. I am blown away by 145 follows and 64 reviews.**

 **Here is the latest chapter, the actual conversation. There will be around 8 chapters in total to round this out.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

 _Kate's phone ringing jolted her out of the daze she had been in for the last hour, trying to work out what he wanted to talk about, and how she was going to keep a calm tone of voice. She figured the best way was to put her work persona on, so she answered the phone in her no nonsense tone_

" _Beckett"_

 _There was a pause, then "Hi, Kate, how are you?"_

"Hi Castle, I'm fine thanks. What did you want to talk about?" Kate wanted to take control of the conversation and hopefully keep it as brief as possible.

"I was hoping we could finish the conversation we started yesterday, before Gina interrupted" Castle said, his voice soft and smooth, almost intimate

Kate took a deep breath. This was really not what she wanted to talk to Castle about, now or ever. She had to shut this down right away.

"I already said, have a great summer, and see you in the fall, Castle"

"Yes, but I got the impression that was not what you wanted to say"

Curse the man and his observation skills. Now what? When in doubt, attack.

"Oh, really? What did you think I wanted to say?"

Castle knew exactly what she was trying to do, and wasn't going to give her the opportunity.

"I don't know, but it looked to be fairly important judging by your body language, so I didn't want to leave without finishing our conversation" not that he actually had any intention now to leave, but she didn't need to know that just yet.

When she didn't reply, Castle thought it was time to up the ante a little.

"Oh, by the way, I bumped into Demming on the way out of the precinct"

Oh God here it comes, Kate thought.

"Yes?" Kate asked, and again remained silent, waiting for his response.

"He said some interesting things to me"

"Did he?" Kate was trying really hard to think of a way to end this conversation without being rude. Rick thought her voice sounded almost strangled, and deduced that she probably didn't really want to about this. Well, he was done with subtext.

"Yes, he did." Castle paused, then decided to jump straight in. "Listen, I think this conversation is best had in person, can I meet you somewhere?"

No, no, no. That was definitely not something Kate wanted, especially not now. What on earth had Tom said? She hated not knowing, not having the full story, she couldn't be in control when she didn't have all the facts.

Just then, a knock sounded at her door, as her late lunch was delivered. Kate took advantage of the distraction to try and get Castle off the phone.

"Listen Castle, there's someone at my door, I gotta go"

"Kate, please, I really need to talk to you, don't hang up on me, please" he couldn't believe he was almost begging, but he needed to get this sorted out. If he let her run now, he would never get the answers he wanted.

Kate for her part was so taken aback by his pleading that she opened the door and took the food from the delivery guy while still on the phone, then handed over the payment, and said "keep the change." Only when she closed her door again did she realise she missed the chance of getting Castle off the phone.

"Kate?"

"Sorry Castle, my lunch just arrived. Can I talk to you later? When are you heading to the Hamptons with Gina?" her voice almost broke on the last word.

She still couldn't work out why Castle was _pleading_ with her for a meeting, if he was going to talk about Tom's assault. That was totally out of character for him, and it made her even more nervous for the conversation to come. His voice brought her back to the present.

"I, uh…. I'm not" he said, hesitant and quiet all of a sudden, and Kate felt a fluttering in her stomach. She very firmly told herself there was no reason for any fluttering going on.

"Oh, ok" Kate almost asked why not, but managed to bite the words back. There was silence on the line again until Castle decided it was now or never.

"Kate, how about after you finish your lunch, I drop by your place? I can be there in an hour or so. Please?"

Kate was totally lost with what he wanted to talk about, and trying not to be swayed by his tone of voice. His words could always get to her.

"Why can't you just tell me over the phone, Castle?" She made a last ditch attempt at avoiding him, although she knew that she would give him whatever he wanted, especially when he spoke to her like that. God knows how much worse it would be to actually be in the same room as him.

"Please, Kate. I want to have this conversation in person, no chance for misunderstandings that way." And no chance you will hang up on me, although kicking me out of your apartment (and life) is a possibility. Luckily the last part did not make it past his lips.

Kate knew it was a lost cause. What the hell, if it had to be now, then why not, let's just rip the bandage off. She had until Tuesday to put her Detective Beckett armour back on.

"OK, Castle, if it's so important, I will see you in an hour."

Thanks Kate, see you then." As soon as he hung up, she regretted agreeing. She needed more time to come up with a believable story for yesterday, to bring her emotions under control.

As she ate her lunch, she reviewed their conversation in her head. Obviously he wanted to talk to her about what Tom did, but he didn't seem to be angry or upset about that – which was in itself weird. He also seemed nervous when he said he wasn't going to the Hamptons with Gina. What had happened there? They seemed like they were ready to rekindle their romance (ugh) at the precinct the day before, much to Kate's dismay.

Well, she had almost made a fool of herself in front of him at the precinct the day before, so this afternoon's meeting would just complete that humiliation, at least in the privacy of her own home. She was a big girl, she could deal with it. At least there would be no witnesses this time, and she knew him well enough to know he would be discreet.

With ten minutes still to go, Rick was pacing up and down her hallway, trying to be as quiet as he could. He didn't want to be too early, appear too eager, but he had so much nervous energy he was almost bursting out of his skin.

Kate smiled when she looked out her peep hole, she knew exactly where the loose floorboards were in the hallway, and had heard him when he arrived. She figured she could put them both out of their misery, although what his problem was, she had no idea.

She opened the door and looked him in the eye. "How much longer are you going to pace up and down my hallway, Castle?"

Rick almost looked sheepish, as he smiled and stepped into her apartment, so she could close the door. They moved to her couch, sitting down either end of it. Kate noticed there was a bruise growing on his face, and cringed inwardly, but wasn't sure if now was the right time to bring that up.

"Would you like a drink?" Kate asked, hoping for a few more moments to gather herself.

"Sure, whatever you have, thanks Kate" Rick replied. Kate's stomach fluttered at his use of her first name, and she realised that he had been calling her Kate all day, no Beckett at all.

When she returned to the couch with a bottle of water for each of them, she decided to take control again. "So what did Tom say to you?"

Castle was shocked for a second that she would go straight to the point, but then realised small talk would not help them out of this situation.

"Um, he accused me of stealing his girl, then dumping her to go away for the summer with another woman, threatened me if I ever came back to the precinct, and punched me in the nose and stomach." Rick spoke quickly, hoping to get it all out before being interrupted, but Kate had her legendary poker face on, and her lips tightly sealed. He was able to take a couple of deep breaths, and look at her face before she spoke.

"Is that what happened to your face?" She asked, stalling for time. She was mortified about the stealing his girl comment, and now understood why Tom had not mentioned that in their phone conversation – she would have ripped his head off for that.

"Um, yeah, but that's OK-"Castle started to respond, but she cut him off.

"No, it's not OK, Castle, he assaulted you, with no provocation, and that is unacceptable. Are you going to press charges? Is that why you wanted to talk to me, to warn me about it?"

"No, Kate, please listen to me" Again Rick pleaded. He wanted to make sure she listened to what he was about to say, because he could only say this out loud, especially to her, once. He took a couple more deep breaths, almost girding himself for the effort it was going to take to bare his soul to her.

"I don't want to press charges, because I can understand what he was feeling. He was frustrated at the thought that you had been used and discarded, and I can tell you that if it was me in his place, I would have done more than just throw a couple of punches at the culprit."

Kate was looking at him, but didn't seem like she wanted to interject, so he continued.

"But when he said that I had stolen his girl, I thought that perhaps it meant that you two weren't together any more, and that maybe that was because of me, and although it sounds weird, my heart leapt in my chest that perhaps you had some feelings for me beyond being your annoying tagalong."

Now, Kate really seemed like she was out of words, her eyes were wide and almost shocked looking. Castle decided he may as well lay it all out there, and hope that things would work out.

"And if that is the case, then I want to tell you that I have had growing feelings for you for a while now, not just for a conquest but something meaningful. You have made me realise that my life before was shallow and empty, and other than Alexis there was nothing for me to be proud of. But working with you has made me want to be a better man, a better father, a better son. And I want to explore what you and I could become, because you know I believe you are extraordinary and I think together we could be amazing."

Castle was now spent, all his words used up, and he didn't even have the strength to look at Kate, so he just sat on her couch, his eyes downcast towards his clasped hands in his lap.

"But… what about Gina?" It was the first words that Kate had spoken in what felt like forever, and her voice was hoarse. She was stunned by what Castle had just said, that he – Richard Castle, famous mystery writer – had feelings for her. Esposito had hinted at something like that a couple of days ago, but she had denied her own feelings so easily, she could deny the looks and touches he had sent her way.

"Gina was a mistake, to be honest. I felt so bad about you being with Demming, but I thought that if he made you happy, then I would leave you to it, but I couldn't hang around and watch you be with another man. I was jealous and lonely and Gina was safe, but we didn't work the first time, and we wouldn't have worked the second time either. I didn't want you to worry or feel guilty about not coming to the Hamptons for the weekend, especially as I had said no funny business, so I figured if you saw I was with Gina then you would be free to do whatever you wanted to. And I meant no funny business, Kate, I would never make a move on you without your express consent, I hope you know that."

Wow, this was not at all how Kate thought the conversation would go. Well, if he was going to be honest with her, with no subtext, then she owed him the same.

"I was going to accept your invitation to the Hamptons, yesterday. That is what I was trying to tell you when Gina showed up. After you left to drop Alexis off at Princeton, Esposito had a word with me, and I realised that I was using Demming as a shield against my feelings for you. So I broke it off with him, and was going to come with you to the Hamptons for the weekend, and see what happened."

By the end of her speech, Castle was staring at Kate like she had been staring at him, eyes wide and mouth open. He could not believe that he had been so close to her coming to the Hamptons with him, if only he had waited another day. He cursed himself again for his impatience. He knew Kate was extraordinary, and she was well worth whatever wait he would have to endure, and endure gladly.

"So, now that we are here…." Castle wanted to move them forward, but he would be guided by Kate. When he looked up at her, she was blushing!

"Yes, we are" she said, dropping her head and letting her hair drop over her face to hide her blush. She knew what she wanted, and now it looked like she may get it, but she had already put herself out there more than she had in over a decade, and it was up to Castle to take them to the next step. She just hoped he could read her correctly.

Rick looked at her, watched her hide behind her hair, and realised that she was done with putting herself out there. The next steps were up to him, but she didn't seem to be adverse to it. He moved closer to her on the couch, thighs not quite touching, and with a gentle hand pushed her hair behind her ear, then lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"Kate, do you mind if I kiss you now?"

 **A/N2: I am disgusted at the cowardly abuse that has been aimed at other writers, great writers, such as Hunsdon, honeyandvodka, drdit92 and others. We should be lifting each other up, encouraging each other. If you think abuse is a good idea, you are a pathetic excuse for a human being. If you don't like something, DON'T READ IT. If you agree that this abuse is unacceptable, please raise your voice.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks so very much to everyone who is continuing to read and review this story. I am humbled by your comments that you are enjoying this story.**

 **Special thanks to those who raised their voices in support of writers, against the abuse they have been subjected to. One particular guest mentioned free speech. Expressing an opinion is fine, but there are ways to go about that, in a positive and constructive manner. Being abusive and offensive is not free speech, its bullying, plain and simple.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

 _Rick looked at her, watched her hide behind her hair, and realised that she was done with putting herself out there. The next steps were up to him, but she didn't seem to be adverse to it. He moved closer to her on the couch, thighs not quite touching, and with a gentle hand pushed her hair behind her ear, then lifted her chin so she was looking at him._

" _Kate, do you mind if I kiss you now?"_

Kate didn't speak, but her blush deepened. Rick couldn't remember the last time he had seen Kate blush. As he watched her, he noticed her eyes flicking down to his lips, and back to his eyes again. That was all he needed, and he leaned forward until their lips touched.

Kate felt his soft lips on hers, and her eyes closed of their own volition. She also felt a jolt of electricity rush through her body, from her lips all the way down through her core, to her toes. When his tongue sought entrance at her lower lip, she forgot everything else, and kissed him back with everything in her.

Rick had a moment of doubt when Kate didn't respond, but then she was kissing him back, and all doubts vanished from his mind. There was only Kate, and him, in the whole world.

When they finally pulled apart, they both had grins threatening to split their faces. Rick has his arms around Kate's waist. And her arms were around his neck, her fingers playing with the soft hairs at his nape.

"Wow" Rick breathed, when he regained the ability to speak. "You were right, I had no idea"

Kate laughed, and Rick decided that was a sound he wanted to hear from her every day for the rest of his life. Wow, what? Oh, dear, he really had it bad. He really couldn't recall the last time he had felt so strongly about a woman after kissing them for the first time. Then again, he had never before had over a year build-up to it, either.

"Yeah, well, I had no idea either. You are really very good at that, Rick" she smiled at him, and leaned in for another kiss. Her mind was still coming to terms with the fact that she could kiss Richard Castle, her favourite author.

And then, like a bucket of cold water drenching her, the realisation hit that this was _Richard Castle_ that she was kissing, and she flinched back. Only a little, because Rick's arms were still around her, but enough so she could look at his face. What she saw in his gorgeous blue eyes took her breath away again.

"Hey" Rick said to her, somehow sensing that some sudden doubts had assailed her. "Nothing has to change you know, I am still me, and you are still you, but now there can be an _us_."

"But, what about..." Kate wasn't sure how to broach the topic, but again it seemed that Castle – Rick – could read her mind.

"We will work it out. My Mother and daughter already like you, and we can get Paula to deal with the media, I already have arrangements in place to protect Alexis. What we do about the precinct is up to you."

"Thanks Castle" Kate said, a little surprised that he had thought about these things already.

Rick pouted "So we are back to Castle, are we? I like it when you call me Rick"

"Well how about I call you Castle at the precinct and Rick at home?" She proposed, not even realising she had said home. Rick smirked, causing Kate to review what she had said to get that reaction. When she remembered the word "home" she blushed again.

"I … Rick, we need to take this slow. I am not ready to be on page six, and I don't know how the precinct will react to us, and I did just break up with Tom yesterday, even though I was not really invested in that relationship."

"Kate, whatever you want, I am happy to take this at your pace. I don't want to mess this up. Whatever you need, I am your man" and there was that cheeky grin again, and she couldn't help but laugh.

A loud noise from outside distracted both of them, and looking towards the windows they realised it was getting dark outside. Just then, his stomach growled, letting them know it had been a while since either one of them had eaten.

"Do you have anything to eat in that fridge of yours, or do we need to order in for dinner? Hey, why don't you come back to the loft with me and I can cook you something?" Rick asked, not wanting to be separated from her just yet.

"Will anyone be at home?" Kate asked, knowing that Alexis was at Princeton, but having no idea about the whereabouts of Martha. Then again, most of the time Rick didn't know where she was either.

"Mother is not due to be home until Tuesday, from what she told me, so we will probably have the loft to ourselves" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"I don't think so, Rick. But why don't you place an order from that Chinese place you like so much." Kate didn't want the moment to end either, but a lot had happened this afternoon and she would need some time alone to process.

After Rick had placed their favourite order, they snuggled again on the couch, kissing occasionally and gazing into each other's eyes. There were no more words, although both of them knew there would need to be, but that was for later. The knock on the door from the delivery guy brought them both out of their haze, and Kate realised it was totally dark now. She turned the lights on before she answered the door, while Rick made his way to the kitchen to get plates and glasses.

Kate put the food on the table, and watched Rick in her kitchen. He looked so at home there, and she had another flutter in her stomach. Maybe they could make this work. It had been a great afternoon, she had not felt this comfortable on the first day of a relationship ever, but of course if she was honest, it really wasn't the first day at all.

They ate in silence, knowing that their time together was coming to an end for now, so they were just enjoying each other's company, drinking in the sight of each other and memorising it for the lonely hours ahead. Rick wanted to make sure that he arranged a set time to see her again, hopefully tomorrow, before he left tonight. Just as they were finishing the last of the food, Rick's phone rang. At first he grimaced, but then he saw that it was Alexis, and his face transformed immediately to a grin. Kate could tell straight away who was on the phone, he only ever had that smile for his daughter. She was surprised when he answered, and just told Alexis he would call her back in a few minutes.

"Are you sure you won't come back to the loft with me?" Rick was pretty sure what her answer would be, but he could hope.

"No Rick, It's too soon, and I still have a few things I want to get done here. Why don't you head home, I know how much you want to talk to Alexis. Say hi for me" she smiled to take the sting out of the rejection.

"You really are extraordinary, you know that?" Rick smiled. No woman cared about his daughter like Kate did, even before they were together. And of course, she knew exactly what to say to let him down gently.

"OK, well, I will head home then. Can we catch up tomorrow? Oh, I didn't ask, do you have the weekend off? Do you have plans?"

He was adorable when he was flustered, and she loved this part of him.

"I still have the weekend off, yes. I was going to just spend it at home, catching up on chores, maybe visit my Dad, nothing exciting. Are you really not going to the Hamptons?"

"No, not at the moment, anyway. But I do have the book to finish, that's the one thing Gina is still hounding me for, I have until the end of the month to get the last chapters to her. So I probably do need to lock myself away for a little while. But I don't want to be so far away from you, especially now that I can do this" and with that he took her in his arms again, and kissed her gently.

"I know" Rick continued when he pulled back slightly to look at Kate "Why don't you get your chores and things done, I will spend the day writing, and then tomorrow night I will come over and bring dinner with me? That will us both something to look forward to and motivation to get things done".

"Sounds great, Rick" Kate said, smiling again. She lent in to kiss him again, then pushed him towards the front door. "Good night, Castle"

"Right, I can take the hint" Rick said, grinning. "Until tomorrow Kate."

Rick didn't remember hailing a cab, or catching the elevator up to his loft, he was so lost in memories of kissing Kate, and holding her in his arms. He had dreamt about those things, but the reality was so much better. He called Alexis, and listened to her tell him all about her day, the people she had met, and her excitement about the program. He told her he wasn't in the Hamptons, but didn't give her any more details. He allayed her curiosity by saying he had to sort a few things out, and they would talk in a couple of days. Then he moved into his office, opened his laptop, flexed his fingers, and lost himself to Nikki Heat.

After Rick left, Kate cleaned up from dinner, put the leftovers in the fridge, and then sat back down on the couch. She ran her fingers over her lips, remembering the feel of Rick's lips on hers, his arms around her, his hair under her fingers. She almost could not believe the changes that had happened in the last 24 hours. From despair and loss, to happiness and hope. Even though she had not been able to finish her speech to Rick, fate had intervened, in the form of Tom's fists, to give her and Rick another chance at the conversation, and now the chance for a relationship. She briefly wondered what would have happened if Tom had not met Rick and Gina in the elevator, how her summer would have gone. She would have needed every day of that break to put her walls back together, and she certainly would not have taken any other chances to put herself out there again. But now, she was glad things had worked out as they had. Unlike last night, she went to bed and sleep straight away. She had the best sleep she could remember having since her mother died.

When Rick knocked on her door the following night, she rushed to open the door to him, and threw her arms around him, pulling him into her apartment. For a moment Rick was surprised, then he hugged her back, while pushing the door closed.

"I would say you missed me" Rick said with a cheeky grin on his face "but that would be hypocritical of me, because I missed you more. And I was so motivated, I finished the first draft of all the chapters I owe Black Pawn, so the rest of the weekend is ours!"

"Good to know Rick. Does that mean you are staying?" Kate's smile was just as wide, and Rick couldn't resist kissing her. He had worried that she would retreat from their closeness of the day before, but her enthusiastic welcome proved those fears unfounded.

"For as long as you let me, Kate" Rick replied, and both of them knew he was not just talking about right now in her apartment.

Dinner was again eaten in comfortable silence, both of them sharing the thai food Rick brought, and a bottle of wine Kate had at home. By the end of it, both Rick and Kate had retreated into their own bubble, focussing solely on each other and not to be disturbed by any outside factors until Rick's phone rang again on Monday night.

After catching up with Alexis, Rick decided he would head home again, albeit reluctantly, to give Kate the chance to prepare to return to work in peace. They also decided he would work on finishing the book, and she would call him when the next case dropped. They decided to keep this new step in their relationship a secret for now, and Kate admonished him to act normal in the precinct "if that is even possible for you, Rick". Although they had only spent one night together so far, for both of them it was difficult going to sleep alone that night, lying in a too big and too empty bed.

Kate was due in to the precinct by 9am, and for the first time in a long time, she was going to be just on time. Her alarm still went off at 6, and after her run she was just sitting down to a much needed cup of coffee when her phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at it, and when she noticed it was from Montgomery, her memories about the conversation with Tom came storming back into the front of her consciousness.

" _Need you in the precinct ASAP with your game face on."_

 **A/N2: Yes, they spent the weekend together, but no, I didn't write it. This is my first story and I am not game to get into writing smut, and I figured I could leave it up to your imagination :-p**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Having never been charged with assault myself, I have no idea of the actual process or documentation required for it. I am using common local (to me) terms for this so please just suspend your disbelief on these points. It's my story so I can make it up lol**

 **Also, I just read chapter 10 of I'm Still Here by CassieCastle47. I love all this story, but wanted to highlight this particular chapter because it describes EXACTLY the dynamic between Castle and Beckett through the seasons, as I see it. There are Castle haters and Beckett haters in the fandom, but I think that both of them needed the progression of events on the show to learn and grow to become the people they needed to be for each other.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while.**

 _Kate was due in to the precinct by 9am, and for the first time in a long time, she was going to be just on time. Her alarm still went off at 6, and after her run she was just sitting down to a much needed cup of coffee when her phone buzzed with a message. She glanced at it, and when she noticed it was from Montgomery, her memories about the conversation with Tom came storming back into the front of her consciousness._

" _Need you in the precinct ASAP with your game face on."_

With that ominous message, she was dressed and out the door in 10 minutes. It was a further 20 minutes to get to the precinct, by which time her nervousness about what she was about to find was shoved deep down and locked behind steel walls. It was Detective Beckett who got off the elevator on the fourth floor.

She only glanced at Ryan and Esposito, sitting at their desks and pretending to work, before making her way straight to the Captain's office. There was the Captain from Robbery, and two men in expensive suits sitting behind the closed door. She knocked politely but firmly, and entered at Montgomery's nod to her.

"Detective Beckett, I presume you know Captain Reynes from Robbery. These gentlemen are Mr Wilson and Mr Robards from Black Pawn's legal department." Montgomery's poker face was in full control, but his eyes were telling her to stay calm. "They are here to lay formal assault charges against Detective Demming. Do you know anything about this?"

"Why would she know anything about this?" Wilson asked, although the smirk on his face showed that he had probably been briefed on far more than necessary – probably by Gina, if Kate had to guess.

"Detective Demming has been assisting the Homicide department on a few cases, and has therefore been spending a fair bit of time with us. Detective Beckett is the leader of that team, and I trust her to be in control of her team at all times." Both Wilson and Robards wore a smirk after that statement, and Kate had had enough.

"Formal assault charges? Who has Detective Demming allegedly assaulted?" She knew, of course, being Black Pawn's lawyers, but she was going to make them work for every inch.

"It's not allegedly, and the injured party is Richard Castle." Wilson stated, glancing at Robards and receiving a nod in return.

"That is interesting, and where is Mr. Castle to make this 'allegation'?" She knew that he would have to be present at some point, and she was pretty sure he was not aware this was going on right now.

"Mr. Castle is not required to be present at this time, but we have full authority to file these charges on his behalf." Robards was starting to get a little aggressive, he couldn't understand what these cops were delaying for.

"Can I see the formal charge sheet please?" Kate asked, knowing full well it would not be Castle's signature on the form. Wilson reluctantly handed it over, while throwing a slightly nervous look at his partner. Kate slowly read through the whole document, then handed it onto her Captain.

"Captain Montgomery, there is a member of my team who has some relevant input into this 'incident' and I would like your permission to bring him in please? I am sure after that we can proceed with the rest of this morning's activities." Kate's words were calm, but her eyes were begging Montgomery to accede to her request, and stall the lawyers.

Before she could leave the office, Robards spoke again. "This is not a discussion, Captain, we are just here to press charges and then be on our way. The hearing will be scheduled in due course. The disciplinary measures on the accused are of course your prerogative."

Captain Montgomery nodded to Kate to leave, then faced the lawyers again." She won't be long at all, and we have time for some refreshments. A cup of coffee, gentlemen?"

Kate moved into the stairwell so she would not be overheard, and dialled Castle's phone. He picked up on the second ring, but before he could greet her she launched straight into her message "Castle, there are a couple of Black Pawn lawyers here wanting to press charges against Demming, but it's not your signature on the charge sheet. I thought you were going to ignore it?"

"I do intend to ignore it, considering it turned out so well for me" She could hear the smile in his voice, but then his tone changed. "Do I need to ask who did put their signature on that form?"

"Well, if you have to ask, you are not as smart as I thought you were" Kate said, wanting to lighten things a little.

"OK, Kate, hang tight, I will be there in 15 minutes and I will fix this. Do you think you can stall them for that long?"

"I am not sure, but even if they file the charges, they can be withdrawn within 24 hours before they get onto the official record. They are sitting in Montgomery's office with Captain Reynes from Robbery." Even as she was speaking, she could hear him open the door to the loft, and the jingle of keys. He was on his way.

"See you soon" Castle said before hanging up. Once he was in the cab he made another phone call, to the head of Black Pawn publishing.

"Hey, Ricky, how is my best author this morning? Enjoying the Hamptons?" Miles Black answered his phone.

"No, Miles, I am not in the Hamptons, but I do almost have the second Heat book finished. Sorry to be abrupt, but this is not a social call. I have decided that trying to work with my ex-wife is no longer viable for me, and I need you to assign me to a different publishing manager effective immediately."

Miles had been wondering when this was coming since the divorce was finalised, so he was not surprised. "Sure, Ricky, if it's what you really want."

"Yes, it is. Just send the relevant documents to my agent and I will get them signed, and let me know who to send the rest of my chapters to."

"Consider it done, Rick." Then Castle hung up, just as he was pulling up in front of the 12th Precinct. He walked straight to the elevator, which was waiting on the ground floor, up to the Homicide floor, and straight into Montgomery's office.

"Well, good morning gentlemen" He said in his most professional and fake voice, eyeballing the two lawyers. "Hope I am not interrupting, Captain Montgomery, Captain Reynes."

"Not at all, Rick, we were just waiting for you" At this pronouncement from Montgomery, the two lawyers looked at each other in shock.

Wilson was the first to regain his voice. "Captain Montgomery, I thought you said we were waiting for a member of Detective Beckett's team to finalise these charges."

"Yes, that is correct, Mr Castle is a valued member of Detective Beckett's team" Montgomery stated, hoping that was still the case after Friday night. He hadn't had a chance to speak to her yet, but she obviously called Castle to come in this morning, so he was going to run with her lead for now.

"Thanks for that endorsement, Captain. And what is this about charges you mentioned, Robbie?" Castle stared directly at Wilson, allowing the other man to see a little of the anger he was feeling.

Before either of the lawyers could respond, Montgomery handed the charge sheet to Castle, and with his speed reading, he had reviewed it in a manner of seconds.

"I am sorry to have caused you all an inconvenience" Castle started, catching each of the other men's eyes with a hesitant smile – totally fake, but they didn't need to know that "But this is just a misunderstanding. There was no assault from Detective Demming to myself, so there is no need for any charges." And with that, he tore up the charge sheet, watching all four men's eyes open wide as saucers.

"But… Ms Cowell said…" Robards was trying to get words out, with no success, but Castle cut him off. "Ms Cowell does not represent me any longer, and as I said, this was all just a misunderstanding. I am sure you gentlemen have more important places to be." His tone was still pleasant, but his eyes were cold steel.

After that dismissal, the lawyers left the office and headed straight for the elevator. Castle then closed the officer door again, and turned back to the two Captains. "I would hope that you can also forget the last hour or so, gentlemen, I meant it when I said it was a misunderstanding. Captain Reynes, I will be down in your office in a few minutes, if that is OK with you"

The captains glanced at each other, neither of them had seen Castle be assertive like this. He waited until they had both nodded, before opening the office door, and heading over to the boys' desks.

"Hey, bro, thought you would be in the Hamptons by now" Esposito said by way of greeting, before being elbowed in the ribs by Ryan.

"Well, I changed my mind, I figured I could get more writing done closer to the action and my inspiration" Castle said, stealing a glance towards Beckett's desk. "Can I interest you boys in drinks this Friday night, seeing as our last celebration was cut short? You too, Beckett." He made his voice deliberately light, but as he caught her eye across the bullpen, there was a whole other conversation going on as she walked over to join them. Seeing this, the boys nodded, and both replied "Sure thing."

"Great, well I still have a book to finish, so I better get back to it. Be sure to call me when the next body drops, Beckett, and I will see you all Friday." With that, Castle waved at the captain, then made his way over the elevator. He turned once more while he was waiting for the car to arrive, with his hands in his pockets, and gave Beckett a little nod.

When the elevator doors, closed, however, he did not press the button for the ground floor, but for Robbery. He didn't know this floor as well as he did Homicide, but the layout was very similar, so he made his way over to the Captain's office, and could see that Demming was already in there, probably being given a dressing down. When he could see they were almost finished, he knocked on the door frame.

"Captain Reynes, do you mind if I speak to Detective Demming privately for a moment?" Rick was speaking to the Captain, asking permission to kick him out of his office, but his eyes remained fixed on Demming. The Captain's brief response surprised Demming, he could see, and then they were alone with the door closed.

As he spoke, his voice was cold and harsh. "Demming, I am going to make this brief. You know by now I am not pressing assault charges against you, but if you ever try to lay a hand on me again, you will find yourself in a world of pain. You and I both know this was about Beckett. I was being the better man when I thought she had chosen you, and stepped away. I suggest to you that you be the better man, and step away now, and this ends here and now." Then he looked at Demming expectantly.

For his part, Demming had never seen this assertive side of Castle, he had only seen the clown, the playboy persona, always throwing up crazy theories and annoying people. He was a little shocked, and it took him a while to realise a response was expected. He also realised that there truly was no chance with Beckett anymore, so he let it go.

"Yes, Castle, I can be a gentleman too. Thank you for not pressing charges. If you ever need a favour, let me know." With a nod, both men left the Captain's office, Castle on his way home.

Kate returned to her desk once the elevator doors closed, feeling a little lighter for having seen Rick, even for just a little while. She could see a few curious looks from the guys and Montgomery, but she ignored them, and got on with her paperwork. There was only one interruption, her phone buzzing with a message from Castle around 2pm.

 _Italian for dinner. My place or yours?_ She grinned and thought for a moment before responding

 _Will Martha be home? I can bring the wine._

 _Nope, just us. Can't wait_

After that, the afternoon seemed to fly, and before she knew it, it was 5pm and with no active case, the boys were packing up to go home. As she started to collect her things, Montgomery called her into his office.

"Kate, is everything OK with you now?" he asked, remembering her demeanour on Friday afternoon.

"Yes, Sir, I had a chance to sort some things out on the weekend. Everything is great." She smiled, knowing that Montgomery would be able to read between the lines.

"And I expect that Mr Castle will be joining the team for some cases over the summer?"

"Yes, sir." She said, not hiding the blush that slowly crept up her cheeks. Montgomery was like a second father to her, and she knew he cared about her wellbeing in and out of the job.

"I am very glad to hear that, Detective" Montgomery said, with a big smile on his face. Kate knew that he was talking about Castle being still around, and not just at the precinct.

Kate went home, got into casual clothes and packed an overnight bag. She grinned at herself, thinking that a week ago, she would never have been this bold. Yet another positive effect that Rick had on her. Then she picked up a bottle of her favourite red wine, and was at Castle's loft by 6:30. She hesitated a moment, biting her lip, before knocking firmly on the door.

Rick recognised that knock, and made his way to the door with a grin. It had only been a few hours, but he missed her, and he hadn't been able to kiss her at the precinct, so when he opened the door he reached straight out and drew her into a bear hug, before leaning back and giving her a passionate kiss.

"Wow, Rick, did you miss me or something?" Kate teased when he released her lips, but she knew that the feeling was mutual. One part of her was shocked at how demonstrative they both were with each other, affectionate and loving, but she ignored that part and just enjoyed the feeling, and let herself respond to him like she had wanted to for a long time.

"Do you even have to ask? I saw you in bad-ass Beckett mode, which is such a turn on, by the way, and I couldn't even touch you!" Rick said, and she could see that while his voice was teasing same as hers, he was serious about his feelings and frustrations.

"Anyway, the pasta is almost done, so you are just in time for dinner at _Casa Castle_ , Miss Beckett" Rick said, waving his arm expansively and directing her towards the dining table, that he had already set with plates and silverware. He took the bottle from her, opened it and placed it on the table to breathe. When she hadn't moved, he turned to her again and raised an eyebrow.

Kate was again struck by the fact that this was _Richard Castle_ , her favourite author that she was having dinner with, and she had a momentary panic that he could have any girl he wanted, so why was he messing around with a boring cop? Rick must have picked up on her hesitation, because he came over to her and enveloped her in his arms again.

"Kate, you are extraordinary, and I want to be with you, spend time with you, and have dinner with you. When you are ready, I want to take you out, wine and dine you, go dancing with you, and show the world how lucky I am to have you beside me." He could see she was looking a little wild by this time, so he lightened it up "but right now, we don't want the wine to get warm, and the pasta to get cold, so let's dig in".

Kate was grateful for his reassurance, and also for his light banter, so she moved to the table, he poured them both wine, and they began to eat. Over dinner, he told her that he had heard from Alexis again, lamenting over the fact that is little girl was almost in college, and being overly dramatic in his pouting. Kate had no sympathy for him, laughing at his antics and threatening him with stories of her own teenage years, not that she thought for a moment that Alexis would ever be that wild or rebellious.

Dinner passed pleasantly, and after dinner they sat on the couch to watch a movie. They started out next to each other, but by halfway through she was snuggled into him and he was drawing lazy circles on her arm with his fingers.

At the end of the movie, Kate looked up at him, then bit her lip, before building up the courage to ask "Can I stay?" Rick was taken aback at first, but then he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Ridiculous woman. Of course you can stay. Do you need me to give you some sleep clothes, or…"

"No, I brought my own, as well as clothes for the precinct tomorrow." She went to the front door, and retrieved her overnight bag, then followed him into his study and then through to the bedroom. She stopped in the doorway, hesitant, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her in.

"Make yourself at home, Kate. Bathroom is through there, I will get you a fresh toothbrush and a towel." He couldn't help grinning at the sight of Kate Beckett in his bedroom. A week ago it was something he thought would never happen.

When Kate's alarm went off in the morning, she had a momentary panic when she didn't remember where she was. Then she was soothed when a strong arm tightened around her, and a gravelly voice said in her ear "Don't get up yet, stay in bed."

She chuckled, but pushed his arm off, and moved to the bathroom. Once she was ready, she came back out, only to see him still asleep in bed, cuddling the pillow she had slept on. He looked so peaceful asleep, all the lines in his face slackened, he was almost like a little boy. She again thanked the fates – that she had never believed in, but was starting to – that the events of last Friday went as they did, and she could be here with him. She leant over and kissed his cheek then left the bedroom. She found some notepaper on his desk, and wrote a few words for him to find when he eventually woke, and placed it on his bedside table. Then she went to work.

When Rick woke a couple of hours later, his first action was to reach over for Kate, but of course he came up empty. Then he remembered she had to work, and he rolled onto his back, letting out a disappointed sigh. As he rolled, he glanced over at his bedside table, and noticed a folded piece of paper sitting there, with 'Rick' on it in her elegant handwriting. He sat up in bed, reached for the note and opened it, smiling as he read.

 _Didn't want to wake you, you looked so peaceful. Dinner at mine tonight? xxKate_

He allowed the grin that was threatening to split his face full reign, so happy for the first time in a long time. He picked up his phone and sent her a quick text.

 _Missed waking up to you. Dinner sounds great. Should I pack a bag? xxRC_

Kate must have still been stuck on paperwork, because she responded almost immediately.

 _Presumptuous of you Mr Castle. But yes :-p Be there by 7 xxKate_

 _With bells on! xxRC_

He sent the text, and then remembered he had one more onerous duty to perform. If he could get that out of the way this morning, he could regain his good mood by tonight when he saw Kate.

He dialled a familiar phone number.

"Sophie, can you please put me through to Ms Cowell's office."

 **A/N2: just one more chapter to go now. Any guesses on how this conversation will go?**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Well, here we are, finally at the end of this story. Thank you for the follows, favourites and reviews.**

 **There have been some interesting points made by guest reviewers, but unfortunately I am not able to respond to them. If you would like to have a discussion, please log in, I am keen to explore some of these alternate viewpoints.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own them, and I make no money from this. Like many others, I just like playing with them for a little while. I will be forever grateful to AWM and TEM for creating this wonderful little world.**

 _He sent the text, and then remembered he had one more onerous duty to perform. If he could get that out of the way this morning, he could regain his good mood by tonight when he saw Kate._

 _He dialled a familiar phone number._

" _Sophie, can you please put me through to Ms Cowell's office."_

"Richard" Gina answered the phone, "What's this I hear about you asking for another publishing manager? It's a bit late for April Fools".

"No joke, Gina, I have terminated our business relationship, the signed paperwork went back via Paula last night." There was a stunned silence on the end of the line, so he continued.

"I haven't taken this step before, even after the divorce, because we had a good working dynamic, and while you were harsh about chasing chapters, I respected your role. You, however, showed this weekend that you cannot respect my role or my specific instructions to drop the assault issue. I cannot work with someone who I cannot trust to look after my best interests, and I will not work with you any longer."

Gina was stunned anew by this statement, she had never seen Rick this assertive, or heard the restrained anger in his voice, especially not directed at her.

"But Rick, I am the best publishing manager at Black Pawn, you know that. Why would you risk your future career over a petty little misunderstanding?"

"Petty little misunderstanding? No, Gina, this is just another example of you doing what you think is best for you, regardless of other people. I put up with that enough during our marriage, but I will no longer accept it. What you seem to forget is that I am the author that produced those best sellers, and yes, and you and Black Pawn have marketed them well to bring me success, but still the content is mine."

"Rick" Gina tried to interrupt, take back control of the conversation, but Rick was having none of it. The past weekend had reminded him that he could succeed when he went after something with intent (despite the little hurdle of misunderstanding that was now resolved) and it brought back to him the confident, assertive man he had been. While he hoped and would work for a true partnership with Kate, he had no intention of giving up control to anyone else ever again.

"Now I didn't call to debate this with you, my decision is made. I know we will probably still bump into each other at certain events, and I hope that we can be civil to each other. I figured that after the years we worked together, you at least deserved an explanation direct from me. Now that is done, and I have better things to do with my time. Goodbye, Gina" and with that, Rick hung up the phone.

He still had a few hours before he was due at Kate's, so he lost himself in his writing haze again. He took his laptop into the bedroom and set up against his headboard, surrounded by the smell of Kate in his sheets. That and his memories were enough to inspire him to finish the final chapters of the second Nikki Heat book, and send it for editing to his new publisher.

Kate was grateful that the criminals of New York were still holding off on committing murder, or at least enough that her team had not caught a body yet. It gave her enough time to complete all her outstanding paperwork, and then to plan on what to cook for dinner for Rick. When 5pm came, both she and the boys were in the elevator before the clock stopped chiming. Montgomery looked after them with a small smile, thinking that for the first time, all was right with his little part of the world.

Kate stopped off at the local grocery store on the way home, and picked up the ingredients for her mom's lasagne. She had not made it in a very long time, both because she hardly ever felt like cooking for one, but also because the memories were bittersweet. But now she wanted to share this, and many other things with Rick. Once home, she changed into casual clothes, and started preparing dinner. She was so caught up in the familiar actions, and her memories, that she didn't hear the first time Rick knocked on her door. It was only the second, louder knock that shook her from her daydream and had her almost running to the door.

"Hi" Rick said when she opened it, drinking in his first sight of her today.

"Hi yourself" Kate smiled, and ushered him into her apartment. She took the bottle of wine from him, placed it gently on her kitchen bench, then turned and threw her arms around his neck, and pushed her whole body flush with his. Their kiss was soft and tender.

When they broke for air, Rick looked around trying to guess what Kate was making. Before he had a chance to ask, she spoke. "My favourite recipe of moms' is her lasagne. And for dessert, we have her apple pie." Her face was shy and hesitant, as if she was uncertain of his reaction.

"Oh, wow, Kate, I am honoured that you would share these with me. Thank you, I can't wait."

They chatted about their day while they set the table and plated up. Rick held off telling her about his morning conversation, not wanting to disrupt the casual domesticity of the evening. Finally, when they had both eaten their fill, Rick leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach.

"Wow, Kate that was amazing, and again thanks for sharing your mom's recipes with me. I can honestly say, you can cook for me anytime." The smile on his face made hers wider and brighter. He noticed that her eyes held a glimmer that he had only rarely seen, it was like her whole face was smiling.

They cleaned up, again side by side, Kate marvelling at how comfortable it was to work together like this. Then they took their wine glasses, after Rick filled them again, and sat on the couch, Kate curled into Rick's shoulder. They enjoyed this closeness for a while, before Rick decided to speak.

"I spoke to Gina today" He started, and felt Kate tense next to him. He smoothed his hand up and down her shoulder and arm as he continued to talk, and felt her slowly relaxing again.

"I asked for a new publishing manager from Black Pawn on Tuesday, and formally terminated my business relationship with her. I put up with a lot from her during and even after our marriage, but this latest incident was the last straw as far as I am concerned. Maybe it's something I should have done sooner, but it's done now." He paused, looking into Kate's eyes, and saw understanding there. He then continued in a softer voice.

"And I was so inspired by the sight of my messy sheets, and your smell throughout my bedroom, that I finished the final chapters of the book and sent them in for editing. I fully expect them to come back for some revisions, but I am now mostly free to continue solving murders with you for the rest of the summer!"

"Geez, Rick, you have had a busy day, haven't you?" Kate teased. "And have you spoken to Alexis today?"

"Yes, she called early this afternoon, still excited and full of beans. I would like to tell her about us soon, you know I don't keep anything from her. And I think my mother is starting to become suspicious, she hasn't actually said anything, and that's unlike her, but I have seen the looks she has been giving me these past couple of days especially when she asks me about 'Dear Katherine'."

Of course, Rick, I would never want you to lie to your family. I just think we should keep it quiet at work. Technically you are not a cop, so the fraternising rule doesn't apply, but I don't want to put any noses out of joint. As long as we can be professional at work, I think Montgomery will cover for us."

"Montgomery? What?" Rick asked, a little taken aback by her easy confidence in that statement.

"Roy is like a second father to me, you know that. He spoke to me last night, as I was leaving, making sure I was OK after the events of last Friday. He seemed happy when I agreed you would be back to work some cases with us over the summer."

"Well, I am very glad of that, Detective, because there is nowhere I would rather be than at your side at work and play." He gave her one of his special smirks, but then leaned in and kissed her to punctuate that statement. They continued kissing and snuggling, sometimes speaking quietly, until Kate's eyes started drooping.

"OK, I think both of us have had a long couple of days, why don't we get some sleep?" Rick asked, standing up and extending his hand to help Kate up as well.

"Good idea, I am on call as of midnight, and I would like to get a couple of hours sleep. I seem to sleep better when you are here." Kate's filter was obviously off while she was half asleep, but she wasn't going to censor herself, didn't need to with Rick.

"So do I" whispered Rick, and led her to the bedroom.

Kate's phone beat her alarm by twenty minutes. Even in her half asleep state, she reached over to the bedside table and answered, her crisp 'Beckett' belying the fact that her eyes were still closed. She listened to the instructions as she made her way to the bathroom, then threw the phone onto her dresser and jumped in for a shower to fully wake up. By the time she was finished, Rick was up and in her kitchen, making her a to-go coffee and kissing her on the way out the door. She wrote the address on a slip of paper, and he said he would be there shortly. Once he locked the door behind Kate, he jumped in the shower and was on his way just 5 minutes later.

The crime scene was in midtown, so he stopped off at their favourite coffee shop and brought them both a coffee and a bear claw each. He walked past the police cordon, nodding at the uniforms there. Kate was talking to Lanie next to the body when he arrived, while Ryan and Esposito could be seen interviewing potential witnesses.

"Good morning, Detective Beckett" he said, handing her the coffee. "And good morning to you, Doctor Parish." Lanie looked at him hard, but then, seeing that Kate was quite Ok with him being there, she decided not to comment. She would get the details out of Kate later.

After the scene had been processed, they both hopped into Beckett's cruiser for the trip back to the precinct. Before she drove off, Castle handed her the bear claw, and she smiled while she ate it, thanking him. _I can really get used to this_ , she thought, putting the car into gear.

When she parked back at the precinct, she took a moment to reach across and take his hand in hers, look him in the eye and smile. They didn't need words to know what each was thinking, so he smiled back at her.

They were the only ones in the elevator, which was no surprise as it was still quite early, and Ryan and Esposito were still out canvassing the area. Just before they reached the Homicide floor, Rick reached out and pushed the stop button, then leaned in and kissed Kate, storing up until they could be alone again. Then he pushed the button again, and the doors opened onto the mostly empty bullpen.

As they stepped out and walked towards the whiteboard, ready to set up for the new case, Castle caught Beckett's eye, and said quietly, so only she could hear-

"I think I really like elevator rides."


End file.
